KUWAIT: Members of the Malayali expatriate community in Kuwait yesterday celebrated Onam, Kerala's harvest festival, in its traditional fervor and flamboyance. Luckily for many, this year's Onam fell on a Friday, making it convenient for Malayalis in Kuwait to celebrate the festival on the same day itself.

"We are glad that we could celebrate Onam on the same day itself this year," said Mari, a housewife in Abbassiya whose family enjoyed a traditional Onam feast at their friend's house in Jleeb. For many Keralite families in Kuwait, the festival served as an occasion for social get-together where the traditional 'Onam' feast was served. 'Onasadya' or Onam banquet is the highlight of the Onam celebration that consists of pure vegetarian dishes and is traditionally served on a banana leaf in Kerala. The feast is quite elaborate and a usual feast can have about 24-28 dishes served as a single course. At many apartments, men and women in their traditional attire joined hands to lay colorful 'pookalams' or floral rangolis.

Cashing in on the soaring demand during the season, supermarkets and grocery shops in Indian neighborhoods announced major promotions and sales on fruits, vegetables and other essentials. They also welcome the Onam shoppers with specially imported jasmine flowers, plantain leafs and traditional Kerala sweets and delicacies at discounted prices. Many Indian restaurants in Abbassiya, Salmiya, Mangaf, Farwaniya and Mirqab yesterday home-delivered 'ready-to-serve' Onam meals in packets at attractive rates ranging from KD 2.5 to KD 4 per packet.

Yesterday's celebration marked the beginning of a festival season for the strong 300,000 Malayali community in Kuwait with associations scheduling Onam festivities and feasts in the coming weekends which could very well roll over into October. Many Kerala associations have planned cultural programs staging dance, music, drama events and various competitions.

'Thiruvonam' marks the culmination of ten days of Onam festivities which is observed as the homecoming of the mythological King Mahabali. The festival brings alive the cultural heritage of Kerala in its best form and is celebrated in commemoration of a glorious past during the regime of the king when peace and prosperity prevailed in the country.

By Sajeev K Peter